Sweet Sleep
by JP26
Summary: Happened on March 5th. I suck big time on summaries...Chapter Update*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first P3P fanfic. This story's been in my head for the past few weeks. I'm not sure if I should continue this (sine there IS a second part of this story), but I think it's so lame...:|**

* * *

_"Even if I won't be able to stand by your side like this, I just want you to know I'll always be there for you." Akihiko said._

_Minako looked at him with a tired smile and a confused look. Akihiko saw this and quickly added, "Well, what I'm just trying to say is that...my feelings for you won't change."_

_At this, Minako gave him her trademark sunny smile that somehow tugged at Akihiko's heart and, without really thinking about it, hugged her._

_"I'll miss you..." she whispered to him as they hugged each other. Akihiko reddened when he heard her say that but still did not let her go._

* * *

"Are you tired?" Aigis said. "Maybe you should close your eyes for a while. I'm here for you."

The two of them were at the rooftop, wonderin if the promise SEES made to each other before confronting Nyx will be remembered. Minako stared at the moving clouds, her eyelids heavy, with Akihiko's words from the other day came back to her...

"Hey!" they heard Junpei yelling. Minako smiled tiredly. At least they remembered, however late it may be.

"Aigis...tell them...I'm..happy to have met them..." Minako whispered as she closed her eyes. "And that...I'm just...going to have a nap..."

"Do not worry." Aigis said, looking down at her. "I'll always be with you."

...

...

Junpei bursted through the rooftop door, grinning.

"Knew you'd be here! Excited as always...huh?" Junpei said cheerfully but he stopped dead short when he saw their leader resting her head on Aigis's lap.

"Well, she became such a slacker after all what had happened." Yukari said. "But to see her like this...is so surprising." Yukari led them to where the two girls are. Aigis looked up at them.

"She is just resting." Aigis said. She noticed Akihiko looking at Minako with such tenderness she felt jealous of him, for Minako loved him dearly while Minako will only look at Aigis as a fellow team mate.

"Aw, look at her...she's sleeping like a baby." Junpei said.

"Junpei..." Akihiko warned.

"Woah...sorry, sorry...I didn't mean to make fun of her."

"But she looks like as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her." Fuuka said.

"True." Mitsuru said. "I've never seen her face this peaceful and carefree. Most of the times, she's a worry-wart."

"But isn't she even more cheerful despite being a worry-wart?" Yukari giggled. Mitsuru only chuckled.

"Yes. She's like a bright sun who does not falter. A gentle breeze-"

"Aw come on." Junpei said, cutting Mitsuru off. "Let's wake her up already. There's no fun at all if she's just going to sleep there all day. We still have celebrations to do!"

"You're right." Akihiko said, though deep inside he wanted to watch her sleep with no worries at all.

"Minako-san gave strict orders not to wake her up." Aigis said.

"Come off it, it's the last day we'll be together like this with the Senpais." Junpei said. He squatted down and started poking Minako's face; it took all of Akihiko's willpower not to strangle Junpei. While Junpei is making fun of their sleeping leader, Fuuka sat down near Minako's right arm. Not really sure what made her do it, but Fuuka suddenly held her hand and gasped, "Why...is her hand...cold?"

This question brought worry to their mind. It was Akihiko who first turned to Aigis.

"What is going on here Aigis? Didn't you say she was just taking a nap?" he demanded. Aigis looked down at the other girl, who's sleeping with a smile on her lips.

"She had forbidden me to tell you all for she wants to remember all of you who have smiles on your faces..."

"Wait...what do you mean 'remember all of you'?" Yukari said. "Don't tell me she's...?"

Yukari doesn't have to finish her words when Akihiko pushed Junpei to the side and gathered Minako into his arms, pestering her to open her eyes.

"She...didn't have much courage to tell you all..." Aigis said. "After confronting Nyx...she's been living a borrowed life. It is more appropriate to say that she'd been living on just pure willpower. She never sleep at night, in fear of...'slipping off to the other side' without fulfilling the promise."

Aigis looked at the girl in Akihiko's arms. "But then again, it is my fault that she'd been living a borrowed life ever since I..." The pained expression on Aigis's face that reminded them the story she and Ryoji had told them at the Moonlight Bridge.

"But if she's still this warm...then maybe there's a way to save her." Akihiko said fiercely. He almost lost her last January 31st...he doesn't want to feel that helplessness again, when they had finally sorted things out...

"I hear you Akihiko." Mitsuru said. "Let's bring her to the hospital."

* * *

"There is nothing wrong with her, like the last time she was here." the doctor said. "It's just plain exhaustion. Though this is the first I've heard of a comatose state induced by exhaustion."

"But she will awake soon, right?" Akihiko said, trying hard to hide the desperation out of his voice.

"As for that, I have no idea. I'm sorry."

"No..." Akihiko muttered, scared for several reasons. He looked at the bed where she lays asleep, and remembered the last words she had said to him. He walked over to her bed and sat down next to it, his expression indicatin he's ready to cry.

"Come on, let's leave him be..." Yukari said in a low voice. The rest of the SEES left Akihiko alone with his girlfriend.

"There are so much things I've planned for the two of us..." Akihiko whispered, stroking her cheek. "Why did you hide such a thing from me...? You know that I don't want to lose anything important to me..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Finally got my wits back. Though I seem to lose them again halfway making this fic. So I'm apologizing this early if it seems to be lame...OTL**

* * *

Akihiko frequently visits Minako's room in Tatsumi Hospital for the next couple of months, sometimes with bunches of flowers to liven up her rather dull room. And he'll just sit there, talking to her as if she's awake. This became his habit over the next few years, holding on to a faint light of hope that she'll wake up.

Several years had passed, everyone had moved on in their lives. As for Akihiko, he is now Ryou Kanzato's informant for the Ayanagi Police. But he is still, in Shinji's terms, cannot let go of the past. During the seventh year of Minako's coma, Akihiko came over to her room yet again, with bunches of roses and a lovely ring box.

"I've heard from Takeba you like red roses." Akihiko said. "Sorry if I've been bringing white roses for the past few years."

Akihiko placed the roses into a vase. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I didn't know you were THAT close with Takeba."

Akihiko sat down on her bed and reached out for her hand. Her hand is still the small wonder Akihiko really likes about her. Despite of all the battles and tennis practices, her hands are still soft.

"Remember my promise to you seven Christmases ago?" Akihiko said as he opened the ring box he has earlier. "Here's something for you to put in the music box. Sorry it took me a while to give one. I have no idea what you like apart from stuff toys..."

Akihiko slid a silver ring on her finger. "Come now, don't give me that face." He chided her. "As far as Junpei had told me, buying a single ring is bad for someone who's in a relationship, so I also have one...even if it's quite a hindrance when I train..."  
Akihiko reached out and stroke her cheek as he chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining though..."

He watched her breathe her carefree breath. He always remember her cheerful smile, her cute pout and her anger when she found him peeping, alongside Junpei and Ryoji, at the hot spring. Though all of that misunderstanding were cleared up, with a really harsh punishment he doesn't want to remember...

"I want to hear your voice, Minako..." Akihiko whispered. "When are you going to wake up?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead, just as the door opened. He looked up and saw Mitsuru.

"What a rather touching scene, Akihiko." she said.

"W-Well, what's wrong with that? I AM her boyfriend..." Akihiko replied, flustered.

Mitsuru noticed the ring box that is neglected on the bed side table.

"I see she has recieved an engagement ring from you. With a matching bunch of red roses. How romantic of you."

"W-What? It's not an engagement ring...It's just...a simple gift...I heard that women likes to recieve such gifts from their boyfriends so..."

Akihiko saw that Mitsuru is about to say something yet again, so he decided to change the subject.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on her. It's all thanks to her that I am this kind of person right now. If it wasn't for her influence, the Kirijo Group would have fallen by now."

Mitsuru looked at her watch. "It's best for me to get going now. I still have a meeting..."

"Yeah, sure. Take care."

* * *

On December 31st, Akihiko recieved a call from the hospital, saying that Minako Arisato has finally regained consciousness. Various emotions welled up inside him, and he left office really early, with a promise of an explanation to his friend, Ryou Kanzato, who seems rather displeased with his sudden slacker attitude. When he finally reached the hospital, he found the former members of SEES, now all grown up, standing outside her room. Even Koromaru was allowed into the hospital.

"She's okay, Senpai." Yukari said as Akihiko tries to catch his breath from his run. "Mitsuru-senpai and the doctor are finishing up checking on her."

Akihiko opened the door and found Minako, awake, sitting on her bed with a tired smile. When she turned her head to look at him, Akihiko was relieved to see her bright crimson eyes looking into his again. He rushed to her side. He saw, from the corner of his eyes, Mitsuru and the Doctor leaving quietly, though he doesn't care much. He just can't believe she's finally awake...

"Um, Aki...?" she said timidly, her voice puny compared to her loud and cheerful one before her comatose. Akihiko looked at her, with her long disshiveled hair and somewhat pale face. He hugged her tightly, not wanting her to see the tears coming out of his eyes.

"I'm so happy..." Akihiko whispered to her ear.

"I'm happy too, Senpai. But..."

"But what?" Akihiko looked at her. She's looking at her hand.

"I don't remember having this ring before. I know for sure this isn't the one Ryoji-kun gave me as a sign of friendship..."

"Oh that...well..." Akihiko said, flustered. He's glad for the fact that she wasn't awake when he told her those chummy stuff some days ago. She would be making fun of him by this time.

"Senpai...that ring on your finger."

Akihiko reddened. Because of the sudden turn of events, he had forgotten his plan when she wakes up. As a consolation to himself, he promised inwardly that he'd clobber Junpei for suggesting to give the ring while she's still asleep, for "a good and romantic surprise when she wakes up".

"Yeah, well...about it..." Akihiko tried to find the right words but failed considerably when he found her smiling up at him.

"When did we get engaged?"

"WHAT!" Junpei yelled, slamming the door open. "YOU'RE ENGAGED ALREADY? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?"

"Stupei!" Yukari said angrily.

"What?" Junpei rounded on Yukari. "I just can't believe our Senpai is a slick operator, asking Minako-tan's hand in marriage just when she woke up."

Minako and Akihiko reddened. True, Akihiko had indirectly asked Minako's hand in marriage and Minako indirectly answered yes to it. In fact, he had asked her hand in marriage, not accepting "No" as an answer, when he had slid the ring onto her finger.


End file.
